Memories of a past future Chapter1
by Sterling Kato
Summary: This story is a WIP work in progress so please forgive any errors until editing is done and completed. Reviews are requested if at all possible And yes, the Gundams in this story can talk... well, kind of... you'll see.
1. Chapter 1

Our story takes place in the year AC (After colony) 2060. The colonies and Earth are allies now, but there's mutiny afoot in secret sanctions both on Earth as well as on the colonies. There are still believers of an ultimate power; the power that the OZ corporations tried to implant many years ago, and those individuals have started building mobile suits once again in hope to bring back the law of power through force. All Gundams were thought to be destroyed at the end of the last Great War between colonies and Earth, but models have been held in secret. Locked away in chambers, waiting to be awakened once again and fight. Among these machines are powerful tools of destruction capable of both devastation and power unmatched by anything the human race has ever seen. Those who are looking to rekindle the empires of tyranny are searching both the Earth and stars for these machines of death, but so far, none have been found. There are those who swore to protect the secrets of these machines with their life, but now....their life and the life of all who still hold the secrets of that legacy could be at risk through the secret they hold.

"We saw those head hunters again Blaire... they're still after that secret of yours?" A man asked a young woman with frosty white hair as she stood looking at some merchandise at a market kiosk.

"Yeah, so?" Blaire replied flatly as she placed down the decorated bowl she was looking at and turned to face the man talking to her with a stern gaze. "They'll be looking for a life time before they can find where my family has hidden it."  
In the back of her mind, Blaire's thoughts were sent to a large cavern outside of the city, where a dark secret was hidden beneath boulders and rubble. Her memories flooded and a vision of a face inhuman and machine flashed by. Black and blue hues graced delicate but dangerous features on a HUGE body built for one purpose; Destruction.  
The Shiro family, Blaire's family had become guardians of the secret hiding place of the once thought to be destroyed Marauder Gundam, and for generations that secret had been safe, until word of a revolution began to spread throughout the space colonies and Earth. Only this revolution was NOT a good one.  
"You'd better watch it..... They mean business. The Kiro family has already been nearly brought to leave their home from those ruthless bastards came parading through their part of town ranting about some secret weapon the family had hidden somewhere." the man said before Blaire started to walk away.  
"I know what I'm doing...." Blaire replied before walking away. She was going to visit her family's legacy...... for some reason, just seeing the Gundam still in place would secure her trust that her family could still keep this precious secret.  
'_I wonder how many brothers you have Marauder..... And if they are still safe....._" Blaire said to herself as she made her way to the cave where the 'secret' these offensive men were after has been hidden for generations.  
Walking cautiously through the forested area that surrounded the cave, Blaire kept her eyes peeled for any suspicious people or activity. In case she saw something that looked wrong; she would immediately abandon her quest and go back home without seeing Marauder safe and sound in its hiding place. She got closer and closer to the cave and finally saw that there was no one or nothing around to give her away, so she walked around and stepped in through a small opening along the right side of the cave just big enough for her and her alone. Pushing the protective camouflage of leafy branches and plants aside as she stepped into the dark and dry cave, she replaced the branches and camouflage quickly so no one could peer in and see.  
Walking a bit further in, her senses picked up the familiarities of this place. The smell of dusty metal, and dry dirt, and then she saw the glint of a helmet, and no sooner that that vision her eyes rested on the massive crouched form that was the Gundam Marauder. It was a proud looking machine, tall, sturdy in build, and immensely thick armor. She reached out and touched the pale gray armor that covered the lower legs of this metallic beast and sighed. Marauder was still safe. Dusty, and rather old looking, but still safe.  
"One day, you'll be free. But for now, you have to stay here..... If they find you, you'll either be destroyed, or used against the people..." Blaire said thoughtlessly as her eyes gazed up at the blank face staring down at her, with eyes darkened with lifeless fury.


	2. Chapter 2

"_I understand....But I don't like being in captivity, but some choices are not mine to be made._" a voice echoed in her head, and Blaire's first reaction was to turn around and look for another person, however she saw nothing but darkness and silence. Perhaps she was just imagining things. She then turned to look back at the Gundam, and saw a glint of light in its pale green eyes, instantly making her step back in shock.  
"What in the name of all that is....." she said as she backed away from the machine with the same look of shock on her face.  
"Did....did that thing just talk? Did you just talk?" Blaire said out loud before she could censor her words, and her bright golden brown eyes tore up and down the huge mechanical being's form. The massive machine was still as stone, but a soft hum started to echo throughout the cave. Carefully and cautiously Blaire took a few steps toward the Gundam and tilted her head she gazed back up into the face that stared down at her. The Gundam's eyes were now clearly, but dimly lit, and they seemed to be following her as she made her way closer. "They never told me Gundams could talk.....My father never told me they could-" Blaire said with a raised brow as she straightened up and tried to look confident, even though she was still in slight shock.  
"_Speaking is a privilege. You are my pilot.... I have been waiting for this day. For too long have I been hidden in this cave, and too long have I waited the day when a pilot strong enough would come into my view and be bound. Your family's secret is me, but you know this, and this secret can be kept in chains no longer. I sense villainous treachery afoot in this world, and I was created to stop it. With or without you, I will...However..... Without you, the journey could be difficult.... for a Gundam is nothing without a pilot. Which is what annoys me so.... release me, and we will fight! Hiding is for those who are scared of the truth.... you are not scared are you?"_ The massive Gundam spoke in a deep, booming, but smooth masculine voice with only slightly mechanical tones mixed in. The intelligence was almost human, as well as the inflections in the tone of voice it used. These traits intrigued Blaire more than just the fact that a machine, thought to be mindless and dead was speaking to her right here, right now after all the years of silence.  
"So what....are you like, bound to me or something? How do you know? And how do I know you're not just trying to trick me into getting you out of here so you can allow those faction freaks to capture you and use you against the people to destroy us?" Blaire questioned with a stern tone, her hands on her hips and her gaze like steel only a woman could make.  
"_As I said, with or without you, time will change..... This new evil that brews is growing stronger. My brethren have spoken to me for many years, and they have told me tales from all corners of this world; space and Earth. News travels fast when you have nothing to do but wait for it. I'm not asking for trust... trust is earned. I do not trust you..... So you should not trust me... but you ARE my pilot.... and we....are the seekers to a new revolution of a new breed and color......Do you comply? Free me, and we shall end this war..... Once and for all._"  
Blaire's eyes widened once again as she stood before the massive machine body, and she took a small step back.  
"What do you mean 'end this war'? There is no war, and there will be no war so long as your location is kept secret! I'm not about to just free you so you can be captured by those heathens!" Blaire replied hotly before turning her back on the Gundam and folding her arms across her chest in a very firm manner.  
"_Listen to me… The war was never over. So long as Gundams exist the war will never be over. But a world without power is peaceful, and they know this. They will not stop until every last one of them is destroyed." _ The Gundam spoke again, and Blaire could hear the tension in its words, but she stood her ground.  
"You can't destroy all of them you dumb machine! There will ALWAYS be someone who will try to bring back the ideals of the old corporations! What chance do you think you have against defeating them all? I'm not about to get myself involved in some 'war' that can be prevented." Blaire said as she turned around with an angered expression and her hands balled into fists.  
"_Whether you believe me or not, the war is NOT over. You have an obligation as a pilot of a Gundam to uphold honor and truth. We are the masters of fate and destiny. You forget, I know you much more than you think._" Marauder said with a hint of amusement in its voice.  
"You don't know ANYTHING about me! You're just a dumb over opinionated machine!" Blaire spat, and she kicked a rock that was at her feet before turning around away from the immobile, but obviously not dead Gundam.  
"_I watched you grow, I knew from the moment your father brought me here that YOU were my chosen pilot. You are the only one who can control what power runs through my circuits, and YOU will pilot me in this war_." Marauder hesitated before continuing.  
"_Your father brought all of his offspring here to teach you all how important it was that my existence was kept secret, but you didn't care. You would walk around this cave, ignoring me and your father as if neither of us mattered. Your will is strong, but you desire for independence is stronger. I KNOW you want this. I know you want to find out what it feels like to be honorable and have the power to stop chaos in its tracks. We can do this! I am made to fight, and you were MADE to pilot me."_  
For a moment Blaire's shoulders dropped, and it seemed as though she were actually thinking about these words, but alas, she shook her head and began to make her way back out of the cave.  
"No….. You are a secret that MUST be kept. I'm not about to ruin my father's honor after all the decades of him keeping the family legacy secret by letting YOU free. And, most importantly, not under my doing. If you can find a way to somehow move without a pilot, then you are free, but until then, you will stay here in this cave. And, by the way, for the record, don't talk to me ever again."  
With that, Blaire stepped out of the cave and closed the gap behind her with the bushes and leafy branches.  
"_You're making a mistake you may not live to regret….._" Marauders voice said before it faded from her head as Blaire walked farther away from the cave.  
"Stupid machine…. Why didn't anyone tell me they could talk?" She asked herself coming to a stop and looking up to the bright blue sky. "Father…. What am I to do? I want to uphold the secret like we have for generations, but what if that damned machine is right? What if there IS a war that never stopped when it ended…?"


	3. Chapter 3

Her questions went unanswered and Blare let out a displeased grunt as she continued her way home, not looking behind her the whole way back to the city.  
Walking into the 'ordinary by all standards' apartments she resided in, Blaire caught wind of trouble. She wasn't sure what it was, but something wasn't right. She walked slowly can carefully up to her apartment, and saw that the door was open a crack. Her first instinct was to run away, but she went against her better judgments and chose to barge in and see who dared to enter her home without her consent.  
Keeping her body straight and confident even thought she was truthfully nervous, Blaire walked up to her door, and opened it all the way. She walked in as if she knew someone was there, and had been expecting them.  
"Ah… the lady returns…" a silky, educated, masculine voice said from a chair across the room, where with a little more light, Blaire could see a very tall and proud man was facing her, his very imperial looking clothing gave away the fact that he was part of the "Revo Organization"; The very same organization that was out looking for the lost Gundams.  
"What do you want?" Blaire asked flatly, even though she knew full well what this man was after. The door slammed behind her and Blaire turned to see 4 more uniformed men close in on her with guns drawn and unkindly expressions.  
"Oh come now, you know what we're after. And, we're prepared to make a deal with you." The man in the chair said as he crossed his knees and intertwined his fingers in the typical haughty manner as with all people of his caliber.

"Oh yeah? What kind of deal?" Blaire asked if only to humor them into thinking she was dumb enough to fall for it.  
"We're prepared to offer you a great opportunity at a better life, as well as success. Your father was fool. We knew two years after that Gundam was placed in his care that he had it, and he tried everything he could to ward us off, but he died because of that very secret." The man said in a velvety tone as he uncrossed his knees and stood up, starting to make his way toward Blaire who tensed at the mention of her father, but the solders behind her readied their weapons in case she struck out to harm their superior.  
"I know how my father died. He died in honor of protecting the one thing you will NEVER get." Blaine replied hotly.  
The man chuckled as he circled around her, his hand rested under his chin in a calm but thoughtful manner.  
"Well, your family's legacy ends today dear lady. We WILL have that Gundam, and you'd be a fool not to accept our offer and give up the Gundam without a fight." The man said as he stopped beside her and turned to look at her.  
"As long as I still breathe and hold the name Shiro in my blood, I will fight to protect my family's secret." Blaine said flatly, not looking at the man beside her but instead kept her eyes locked forward.  
"Don't be a fool. If you give us the Gundam, I will personally make sure you are kept out under the table and protected from any 'problems' that may sprout forth in the near to distant future." The man said smoothly and he stood away from Blaine and waited for her reply.  
"Who are you?" Blaine asked flatly, and she turned her head but did not look up to the man's face.  
"I am head commander France Filtrum. Why?" He asked in an amused voice.  
"Because…. I want to know the name of the man I will one day kill in vengeance for my family's death." Blaine replied and looked up, her golden brown eyes ablaze with hatred and fury, but her stance was calm.  
"Kill me? You plain to kill…me? Young lady, I don't think you know who you are dealing with. I am head commander for the Revo Corporation, and I have more power in my pinky finger than any other man alive. You try to even attempt to kill me, and you'll be hanged before you can say 'sorry'." Commander France replied, and though his words were stern, his tone and body were both relaxed and calm.  
"Don't count on knowing when I'm coming. If I live through today, I will hunt you down, and kill you. I will never tell you where the Gundam is. You'll have to kill me, if you value your own life and future." Blaine said in an emotionless tone, her eyes locked on Commander France's.  
"Very well…" Commander France said flatly and he sent a look to his uniformed soldiers who lifted their guns at the ready.  
"Such a pity… You could have had a chance to see a beautiful life. But now all you will see is a cold and quick death." Commander France said as he lifted a finger to signal his soldiers to shoot, his steely blue eyes locked on Blaine's golden ones.  
"I am ready to die for my family's honor, and if it stops you, or even delays you from finding Marauder, that'll be a bonus." Blaire replied, and she closed her eyes and readied for the sting of bullets to hit her skin and break her bones.  
Suddenly, like a crash of thunder, the side of the apartment building exploded in a flash of white light. Screams echoed through a dream, and the next moment Blaire opened her eyes to see a huge figure standing amidst the light, dust, and haze. The smoke cleared and her eyes focused enough to see that the figure was Marauder.  
"_I told you there was mutiny afoot._" Marauder's voice echoed in her head, and she saw the massive machine extend a huge hand in her direction.  
"But…how…?" Blaire asked in confusion, but her mind was still reeling from the aftermath of the explosion, she couldn't make any sense of what was going on.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Save your questions. Get in._" Marauder spoke and with a hiss and a click an opening appeared on the massive body's chest opened like a hatch and a seat compartment slid out just big enough for a single person.  
Blaire grabbed onto the gigantic hand and felt herself lift up and when she was near enough she stepped onto the platform and clumsily flopped into the seat, which then began to contract back into the massive chest cavity of the mechanical body until it was completely back to normal.  
"_At last…Hold on._" Marauder said in a tone of relief in her head before Blaine felt the massive force of thrust and then the sensation of flying. Screens all around her flashed into operation, and beeps and clicks emitted from every direction. The experience was both confusing and slightly nauseating, but Blain swallowed back anything that swelled in her throat.  
"_I am online and fully operational. What is your directive?" _Marauder said in its unusual voice, and Blaire blinked a few times before trying to make any sense or judgment.  
"Well, uh, I'm not sure…. I've never piloted a Gundam before, so you tell me. This is all kind of new so, how about you just do what you think best." She said tilting her head to crack her neck vertebrae back into place with a grunt.  
"_As you wish. I think it's time we send them a warning, to show them just what they are dealing with." _ Marauder said.  
"Oh? And what's that?" Blaire replied, starting to feel somewhat normal again, and began to look around the cockpit she was now stuck in.  
"_More demons than they can put down…_" Marauder growled darkly, and Blaine saw a screen in front of her light up and a huge gun the size of a football field aimed directly at the apartment building she and Commander France were just in.  
"Whatever you say… You know what you're doing more than me." Blaine said, but as soon as she said it she realized that not only was the enemy in those apartments, but innocent bystanders as well!  
She tensed and opened her mouth, but it was too late. All turned to slop motion as a massively bright white beam of light flew from the barrel of the huge gun and was sent speeding toward the small apartments below, and within seconds, they blew apart into millions of tiny pieces with a massive explosion.  
Before she could say anything, Marauder's thrusters went full throttle and the huge Gundam shot upward through the sky, leaving the smoking, burning, destroyed apartment buildings behind as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.  
"What the HELL was that about?! You just blew up dozens of people! INNOCENT people who had NOTHING to do with this!" Blaine shouted angrily as she raked her fingers through her hair in both frustration and dismay.  
"_Their lives will be mourned. Why are you worried about it? It is you who are safe now. That's all that matters._" Marauder replied as they broke through the atmosphere and careened into space's vast emptiness filled with stars.  
Blaine let out a scoff and her brow dropped. "You just don't get it because you're nothing but a stupid, insensitive MACHINE! You can't just go around blowing innocent people away just because one bad guy is among them! You probably just nuked half my friends in that stunt! I knew people in those apartments; good, honest, hard working people who never harmed another human being in their entire life! And now, they're probably dead because of you! Because….of me." Blaine snapped, but stopped short and tears filled her eyes.  
"I have to get out of here…" She said flatly feeling sick and panicked, and she unclipped the button to release the harness holding her tightly to the pilot chair and started to search for a way out of the cockpit.  
"_And go where? We're in space. If you get out of the cockpit now, you'll die instantly. Remain in your seat._" Marauder said flatly, but Blaine ignored the Gundam's advice and kept searching relentlessly for a way out.  
Finally after minutes of searching and finding nothing to release her, she slumped back hard into the pilot seat and sighed harshly before closing her eyes; a few tears escaping them simultaneously and rolling down her cheeks to swell on her chin.  
"I'd rather die today in space, than live the rest of my life knowing I'm a murderer…." Blaine said weakly and she cringed before wiping the tears from her chin and slamming a fist into the main console in front of her, but her blow did nothing more than bruise her own knuckles.  
"LET ME OUT! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I'M NOT YOUR PILOT, I CAN'T BE! I NEVER FOUGHT A DAY IN MY LIFE! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PILOT A GUNDAM! PLEASE, LET ME OUT!" Blaine pleaded as she started to bawl her eyes out, tears falling from her face onto her lap.  
"_ENOUGH!_" Marauder's voice bellowed in her head, and Blaine jumped back in the seat and looked around in slight fear.  
"_First of all, we are not murderers, we are saviors! Beacons for the free people of Earth and the colonies! Second, what right do you have to be so selfish!? All you care about is you when the whole world is on the end of a hair trigger! Your family spent decades protecting my secrets, and now that the time has come for action more than words, you're ready to drop out and hide like a weak, sick kitten? Not on my watch. You listen, and you listen well, you're going to sit back, shut your mouth, and learn a thing or two. Being a pilot to a Gundam isn't as hard as it seems, especially not when your Gundam can teach you by itself! Stop whining, and grow up! Now let's move before they send a retaliation cruiser after us. After my little warning shot, they're bound to have more of an appetite for me now._"  
Blaine sat back, her expression taken back and surprised. She never imagined a machine would put her in her place before today, and in that very moment something changed within her. Something hidden and unbeknownst to her clicked on like a light, and she felt a sensation come over her like a blast of cold wind. She sat up, inhaled deeply, and asked "All right, what do I do? Tell me."  
"_That's more like it. Grab the controls. I'm going to auto pilot; we'll head for the nearest space colony to find a hiding place until proper preps can be made to hideout better. All I want you to do for now is feel and remember. Try and concentrate on understanding and remembering how I turn, excel in my speed, and move. You'll need to know for when you take control._" Marauder replied.  
"Feel? Ok, I can do that…" Blaine said gingerly as she reached out and wrapped her hands tightly around the two hand sized control modules, closing her eyes trying to clear her mind to concentrate on nothing but what was about to happen.  
"_All right, you ready? Here we go._" Marauder said, and with a flash of G-force, the huge machine's forward thrusters exploded into action, propelling it at unmarked speeds onward through the vastness of space.  
The sensation was almost magical, surreal; the feeling of weightlessness made Blaine feel free as the birds she used to watch fly over head on Earth, and she felt at peace for the first time in a long time.  
Her mind focused on one thing: calculating and remembering how Marauder moved, and swerved through the empty space around them, and how its various parts extended and contracted to make its actions as smooth as a hot blade through butter.  
"This is amazing!" Blaine said with her eyes still closed, but a smile on her face, as she felt the hand controls shift and move against and with her hands.  
"_See? It's not that difficult now is it? Kind of like driving Automobile, only…bigger, and one that can fly._" Marauder replied calmly, and somehow the calm of the Gundam's voice made this strange transition easier and more appropriate.  
"And talk…?" Blaine said with a small chuckle, all negativity slowly fading from her mind as they moved on through space at a rapid but easy pace.  
For the rest of the journey to their destination, Blaine's hands never moved from the controls, and Marauder explained a few things that couldn't be picked up by her on her own.  
"_Now this is the hard part...Landing. I never was good at it. Maybe you can do it better. Take the controls. Let's see what you feel._" Marauder said as they neared the space colony's port side entrance, the large Gundam's reverse thrusters puffing and expelling hot air to keep it afloat, but in control.  
"What? Me? No way! I can't even fly you yet! I'm not even-" Blaine replied hastily, but Marauder's voice cut her off by saying "_Sometimes you must learn to run before you can walk. I know you can do this, just do as you feel right, if worse comes to worse, I will take over if I feel you're going to crash me face first into the ground._" Marauder said in an amused tone of voice that Blaine hadn't heard before, and somehow the Gundam's mockery was not very comforting.  
"_I'm exiting auto pilot now. You'd better learn to run before we get sucked into space and then all is lost…_" Marauder said and the control button for auto pilot flashed off and the controls kicked in under her fingers with a click and a jolt.  
"Ha-ha. Quite the comedian aren't we." Blaine said coyly before she swallowed hard and tensed up, but her instincts kicked in and she closed her eyes for a moment before letting out her breath and taking control.  
"Ok, come on Blainey, you can do this…." She said as she shifted the right control module to turn the reverse thruster and cause the Gundam to slowly shift into the large opening on the port side of the continental sized space colony.  
"_Watch my head…_" Marauder said quickly, and Blaine switched the left control module backward causing the left reverse thruster to push back and lower the topside of the Gundam narrowly missing the top part of the port passageway with Marauder's massive head.  
"_Ok, once you get inside, pull back on both controls so the reverse thrusters push my body down to land. This was the part I'd always mess up, so let's see how you do._" Marauder said and Blaine did exactly as the Gundam advised, only she chose to do this slowly, and carefully, pulling the controls back toward her easily and cautiously until she felt the soft thud of Marauder's feet hitting the ground. Upon landing, the people in the port began to crowd around the huge Gundam and look on in both fear and amazement.  
"_Very well done…for your first try._" Marauder said finally, and Blaine released the control modules and flopped back into the seat and caught her breath.


	5. Chapter 5

"How could YOU mess that part up? It's a piece of cake!" Blaine asked through a faint chuckle, running her hand through her frosty white hair.  
"_I've always been the more impulsive type. When I land, I like to make it known I'm there. But, I figured the logic of me doing that one a space colony wasn't the best plan of action, so you were my only other option._" Marauder replied flatly, the amusement and cleverness gone from its voice.  
"Yeah, well I seemed to have attracted enough attention as if I HAD just burst down on the ground here." Blaine said as she saw the people gathering around at huge Gundam's feet.  
"Either way, I'd better make it clear that we're not here to cause any problems. Open up." Blaine said, and with a click and a hiss the hatch to the cockpit opened and the pilot chair and her slid out into the lit space port.  
"What is the meaning of your being here stranger? Surely this cannot be a Gundam you pilot! If you come to bring war to our colony, leave now before our officials shoot you dead!" A man spoke up from the crowd. Blaine searched until she saw the speaker come forth through the crowd to stand gazing up from the ground at her.  
The man was older, from the looks of his salty white hair, in his late 40's, and the look in his dark brown eyes said he spoke business.  
"I'm not here to cause problems! My mobile suit and I are here in need of a place to hide! Can you give us that?" Blaine asked sincerely, trying to sound as timid and harmless as possible while standing atop a massive weapon of destruction.  
"Pilots of mobile suits are forbidden from this place!"  
" They have been since the Great War years ago!"  
" Leave pilot, and take your Gundam elsewhere!"  
" We don't harbor rebels!"  
"Yeah! Leave!"  
Voices filled the cavernous port and all of them were disagreeable and hostile, but the man below who spoke before remained silent until he lifted his hand and the people surrounding went silent.  
"Why should we hide a Gundam and its pilot? Would that not bring problems regardless if they were intended or not? Tell us the nature of your intrusion, and perhaps we can make accommodations to suit your needs." The man spoke with stern authority, but his tone was not hostile or unkind.  
"We're here because the Revo Corporation is searching for this Gundam. They want to steal it, and use it for making more mobile suits! They are trying to start a revolution to reinstate the laws and tyranny that Oz and its allies tried so many years ago! I need a place to hide until we can find better accommodations! If all goes well, we will not be on your doorstep longer than a week." Blaine replied, and she waited for one reply; the one of the man who seemed to have control over the people of this colony.  
The man below looked pensive for a moment before he nodded slowly and waved her to come down from her perch.  
"Come down. We will feed you, give you a place to stay, and find a place for you to hide your mobile suit."  
Blaine looked up at Marauder, and the Gundam's eyes shifted to look at her before it said "_Do as he says. I'll be fine here until you can find a place to put me._" And with a shift of its hand, Marauder placed Blaine safely on the ground.  
"All right. Behave, and don't move. You hear me? Not an inch." Blaine said looking up with a smirk before she turned around and readied to follow the man who had accepted her plea for help.  
"_Now who's the comedian? Where would I go without you? Just go, and hurry." _ Marauder replied flatly before standing back up and still as a giant stone figure.  
Blaine followed behind the man, and as they walked away from the port, she looked back to watch as Marauder faded behind the doors which closed after she passed through with the man.  
"_Tell me if there's any problems, and I'll be there in a second friend._" Blaine thought to herself as she turned her head back and stared ahead to the man leading her into the city of the colony's belly.  
"_I'll be fine. It's you you should worry about now. These are strangers, and no matter how friendly they may appear, you never know where white wolves hide among the sheep._" Marauder's voice echoed in her head, and though it was faint, just knowing she wasn't truly alone was comfort enough, and she smiled slightly in that comfort.  
The man hailed an escort vehicle which he and Blaine got into, and the vehicle sped off direction west.  
"We will place you in an apartment complex on the west end of the colony. It's not the biggest of places, but it'll suit a single person like you. Besides, Arty will welcome a new tenant as he hasn't had one in years now. If you are hungry, our local restaurants and markets will feed and give you what you need for whatever price you can give. Just tell them who you are, and that Sirius Red will handle any unpaid expenses. I will get word out to everyone on this colony that you are not to be disturbed or bothered. Should you need other necessities you will have to find those on your own. Our colony hasn't carried parts for mobile suits in decades, so if your Gundam needs repairs, you will not find the resources here."  
So, within those 2 minutes Blaine had figured out two things about this strange man; his name was Sirius Red, and he was a leader in some fashion here on this space colony.  
"Very well. Thank you very much for your hospitality." Blaine said graciously, and she bowed her head in respect to the older man in hopes of it showing her sincerity.  
"You are welcome to stay for as long as you need, but DON'T outstay your welcome. People around here are nervous about mobile suits, and though many haven't ever seen one, those that remember the days and stories of the Great War fear any mobile suit brings unlucky business. Just do what you must and leave when you can. Good luck." Sirius Red said before the escort vehicle sped off, leaving Blaine alone in the west side of the colony in front of a small apartment complex.  
"Well, it's better than nothing I suppose." Blaine said as she looked over the small apartment seeing it was small, dirty, and very ghetto looking. She walked up the steps and in through the front doors. A man was sitting behind the admissions desk and he looked up at her and straightened up immediately. He was short, portly, and rather homely looking. His large spectacle glasses making his large black eyes bug out, giving him the strange likeness to a sorry, sad, and fleshy colored beetle type insect.  
"Welcome! A new tenant! How nice! I have just the room for you! Come this way!" the man said, his voice excited and hasty as if he really hadn't seen a new tenant in years, but Blaine ignored his oddness and followed him to the room he was giving her to stay in.  
"How could YOU mess that part up? It's a piece of cake!" Blaine asked through a faint chuckle, running her hand through her frosty white hair.  
"_I've always been the more impulsive type. When I land, I like to make it known I'm there. But, I figured the logic of me doing that one a space colony wasn't the best plan of action, so you were my only other option._" Marauder replied flatly, the amusement and cleverness gone from its voice.  
"Yeah, well I seemed to have attracted enough attention as if I HAD just burst down on the ground here." Blaine said as she saw the people gathering around at huge Gundam's feet.  
"Either way, I'd better make it clear that we're not here to cause any problems. Open up." Blaine said, and with a click and a hiss the hatch to the cockpit opened and the pilot chair and her slid out into the lit space port.  
"What is the meaning of your being here stranger? Surely this cannot be a Gundam you pilot! If you come to bring war to our colony, leave now before our officials shoot you dead!" A man spoke up from the crowd. Blaine searched until she saw the speaker come forth through the crowd to stand gazing up from the ground at her.  
The man was older, from the looks of his salty white hair, in his late 40's, and the look in his dark brown eyes said he spoke business.  
"I'm not here to cause problems! My mobile suit and I are here in need of a place to hide! Can you give us that?" Blaine asked sincerely, trying to sound as timid and harmless as possible while standing atop a massive weapon of destruction.  
"Pilots of mobile suits are forbidden from this place!"  
" They have been since the Great War years ago!"  
" Leave pilot, and take your Gundam elsewhere!"  
" We don't harbor rebels!"  
"Yeah! Leave!"  
Voices filled the cavernous port and all of them were disagreeable and hostile, but the man below who spoke before remained silent until he lifted his hand and the people surrounding went silent.  
"Why should we hide a Gundam and its pilot? Would that not bring problems regardless if they were intended or not? Tell us the nature of your intrusion, and perhaps we can make accommodations to suit your needs." The man spoke with stern authority, but his tone was not hostile or unkind.  
"We're here because the Revo Corporation is searching for this Gundam. They want to steal it, and use it for making more mobile suits! They are trying to start a revolution to reinstate the laws and tyranny that Oz and its allies tried so many years ago! I need a place to hide until we can find better accommodations! If all goes well, we will not be on your doorstep longer than a week." Blaine replied, and she waited for one reply; the one of the man who seemed to have control over the people of this colony.  
The man below looked pensive for a moment before he nodded slowly and waved her to come down from her perch.  
"Come down. We will feed you, give you a place to stay, and find a place for you to hide your mobile suit."  
Blaine looked up at Marauder, and the Gundam's eyes shifted to look at her before it said "_Do as he says. I'll be fine here until you can find a place to put me._" And with a shift of its hand, Marauder placed Blaine safely on the ground.  
"All right. Behave, and don't move. You hear me? Not an inch." Blaine said looking up with a smirk before she turned around and readied to follow the man who had accepted her plea for help.  
"_Now who's the comedian? Where would I go without you? Just go, and hurry." _ Marauder replied flatly before standing back up and still as a giant stone figure.  
Blaine followed behind the man, and as they walked away from the port, she looked back to watch as Marauder faded behind the doors which closed after she passed through with the man.  
"_Tell me if there's any problems, and I'll be there in a second friend._" Blaine thought to herself as she turned her head back and stared ahead to the man leading her into the city of the colony's belly.  
"_I'll be fine. It's you you should worry about now. These are strangers, and no matter how friendly they may appear, you never know where white wolves hide among the sheep._" Marauder's voice echoed in her head, and though it was faint, just knowing she wasn't truly alone was comfort enough, and she smiled slightly in that comfort.  
The man hailed an escort vehicle which he and Blaine got into, and the vehicle sped off direction west.  
"We will place you in an apartment complex on the west end of the colony. It's not the biggest of places, but it'll suit a single person like you. Besides, Arty will welcome a new tenant as he hasn't had one in years now. If you are hungry, our local restaurants and markets will feed and give you what you need for whatever price you can give. Just tell them who you are, and that Sirius Red will handle any unpaid expenses. I will get word out to everyone on this colony that you are not to be disturbed or bothered. Should you need other necessities you will have to find those on your own. Our colony hasn't carried parts for mobile suits in decades, so if your Gundam needs repairs, you will not find the resources here."  
So, within those 2 minutes Blaine had figured out two things about this strange man; his name was Sirius Red, and he was a leader in some fashion here on this space colony.  
"Very well. Thank you very much for your hospitality." Blaine said graciously, and she bowed her head in respect to the older man in hopes of it showing her sincerity.  
"You are welcome to stay for as long as you need, but DON'T outstay your welcome. People around here are nervous about mobile suits, and though many haven't ever seen one, those that remember the days and stories of the Great War fear any mobile suit brings unlucky business. Just do what you must and leave when you can. Good luck." Sirius Red said before the escort vehicle sped off, leaving Blaine alone in the west side of the colony in front of a small apartment complex.  
"Well, it's better than nothing I suppose." Blaine said as she looked over the small apartment seeing it was small, dirty, and very ghetto looking. She walked up the steps and in through the front doors. A man was sitting behind the admissions desk and he looked up at her and straightened up immediately. He was short, portly, and rather homely looking. His large spectacle glasses making his large black eyes bug out, giving him the strange likeness to a sorry, sad, and fleshy colored beetle type insect.  
"Welcome! A new tenant! How nice! I have just the room for you! Come this way!" the man said, his voice excited and hasty as if he really hadn't seen a new tenant in years, but Blaine ignored his oddness and followed him to the room he was giving her to stay in.


	6. Chapter 6

"It's not the biggest room, but it is the most quiet and calm. The last tenant used to always tell me how much she liked her privacy, and from the looks of it you're just the kind of girl who likes her privacy."  
Blaine turned around and raised a brow at the man, which sent him blushing in embarrassment and he backed away saying "Of course what business is that of mine. I'll leave you to get situated. One thing?" He asked, and Blaine replied with "Hmmn?"  
"If you don't mind me asking, where's your, well, your things? Most people have luggage or suitcases with them when they move."  
"I don't plan on staying that long and anything I need I'll find in the city." Blaine replied irately as this nosy man was getting on her nerves not only with his unnecessary excitability, but also with all of his questions.  
"Ah, right. Oh well, enjoy your stay, and if you need anything, just let me know. The heating unit in this room is a bit weird, so you have to kick it for it to start up." He said before Blaine narrowed her eyes and he chuckled nervously and left, closing the door behind him. Milliseconds later the door reopened and he tossed in the keys to the room which Blaine caught without looking and placed in her pocket quickly as if they were stolen goods.  
"Thanks." She said flatly before the door closed again softly.  
Blaine took a moment to look around the small but comfortable room. There was a bed neatly fixed and made sitting the far right corner, and small refrigerator which was no doubt empty, and a small stove in the left corner of the room. There was no personal bathroom, and she assumed there was a public one somewhere else in the apartments for all the tenants to use. There were two large windows on the farthest wall, and a view of the dank part of the city was seen through them.  
With a sigh, Blaine rolled her eyes and sunk down onto the bed, folding her hands in her lap as she stared out the windows.  
"_This all feels so strange to me, but something about this lifestyle seems…natural. How odd. Could this mean for the rest of my life I'll be a nomad? No… I'm a criminal now; a criminal with a precious secret that still needs protection. I may be running for a long time, but at least Marauder will be kept out of the hands of those Revo corps bastards._" She thought to herself before lying back on the bed and closing her eyes in hopes of finding some sense in dreams, but instead all she could think about was Marauder and wonder where the Gundam was. If it was still standing dormant in the cavernous port or if the people of his colony had been smart enough to move it to a safer place.  
Either way, Blaine new she wouldn't be able to rest until she saw to it that Marauder was safe. She rose up and with a groan she stood up and made her way for the door, which she opened and walked down the small hallway until she hit the entrance foyer.  
"Leaving already?" the desk man from before asked her, the usual cheesy smile on his face as if it would help aid his humor, and Blaine sighed before replying.  
"I'm out to pick up a few things I need. I'll be back, don't worry."  
She knew how men worked even at this young age, and in that knowledge she knew that if she humored this poor man, he would keep her in favor. Whether that favor be sexually triggered or just through respect, she needed allies in this strange place.  
"Very good, I will have the maids spiff up the room while you're gone. It'll be ready for sleeping when you get back. Be careful and safe young lady. This is friendly colony, but there's always bad apples in the bushel." The man said before Blain nodded and exited the building and walked out into the well lit interior of the space colony. As simple as the kind words were, Blaine had to admit it was nice having someone wish her safety in this place, and she silently commended the beetle man for that kindness.  
She debated for a moment if she wanted to get an escort vehicle for her trip to the port passage, but she then decided it was best to make her way there on foot. She would have to know as much as she could about this colony if she planned on hiding herself as well as a HUGE Gundam here for a while, so she started walking eastward toward the busier part of the city.  
"_Are you ok Marauder? Where are you?_" Blaine asked silently in her head, hoping for an answer, and for a moment there was silence, but after a moment or two longer she heard a familiar voice say "_I'm right where you left me._"  
With a smile Blaine walked a bit faster toward her destination, making sure to keep her eyes around her memorizing buildings, their placement, street and passageway names as she passed them until she finally reached the inner part of the city. People were everywhere now, and she assumed it was around noon by the business of the city, although she hadn't seen the time, and from the way the city was lit so brightly it was hard to tell whether it was day or night.


	7. Chapter 7

Finally, after walking for a while Blaine saw the huge doors to the port which theatrically opened and closed as people came and went for daily travels, as she got closer she could faintly see the build of Marauder through the doorway, and its massive form stood out like a sore thumb among the hustle and bustle, dwarfing the ships and people surrounding it.  
"_Welcome back._" Marauder greeted as Blain stepped up to the large mechanoid's foot, and with a smooth movement, the large Gundam scooped up Blaine in its hand and brought her up to its line of vision.  
"_I trust they are treating you a bit better than me._" Marauder said in an unimpressed tone of voice as its eyes flashed down to a couple people glaring up at the two of them.  
"Don't worry about them, these people aren't used to seeing Gundams anymore Marauder. They're just afraid of what they don't know. That man Sirius Red told me something. He said the people of the colonies now see Gundams as something of an omen of bad luck and misfortune. They're suspicious of strangers, especially ones that have mobile suits. Let's just not give them as reason to hate us, ok?" Blain said before she sat down in Marauders hand and waved that glaring people who turned quickly and walked away.  
"_Somehow that seems easier said than done, but I will try to control myself and not move too much in stationary mode._" Marauder said flatly, and Blaine turned to look up at the Mechanical being's face with a raised brown and a smirk, receiving only a dead gaze in return. However, if it could, Blaine had a feeling Marauder would have the most devious smirk possible on its face at that very moment.  
"What I meant was that in order to get these people to trust us enough to become allies we can't go around doing things that would ward them off us and our intentions. That means no blowing things up, terrorizing little children, OR making me look like a jerk." Blaine said with a chuckle, and she saw Marauder roll its optics at her. "_I assure you, I would never make you look anything but admirable, unless you gave me a reason to show them you're really a chicken in a human's body._"  
Blaine scoffed, smirked, and punched the thumb finger of the giant hand she was sitting in before saying "Come on now, I did pretty good so far for being a novice at this whole pilot thing. Be nice, or I just might leave you here, and let them take you away."  
"_Don't joke about that kind of thing! You know what they'd do if they got a hold of my power! Besides, you'd be completely alone without me, and I without you. We're bound through destiny, and if we're separated, one will die without the other. I made a pact the day I knew you were my pilot; to never let harm come to you, even if it meant risking my own existence. I must ask that you do the same for me._" Marauder said flatly, and Blaine's expression turned from joking to seriously interested and she turned to face the Gundam and look it dead in the eyes.  
"You.. would risk your life, for me?" she asked and her heart jumped slightly. She had never had such a feeling of comradely in her whole life, but it was frighteningly comforting, even though it came from a machine 20 times bigger than her.  
Marauder shifted its head to nod once best it could before it eyes dimmed down to a bit softer gaze than the usual harsh and emotionless one.  
"_I said we are bound, and as such, my existence is to protect you and the people of Earth and the colonies. Destruction may be in my general line of purpose, but what I really am is a gift. Or so was told._" Marauder said softly, and Blaine smiled happily, patted the large thumb finger she had punched playfully only moments before, and said "Then you have my word. My life is your life. My existence is yours as well, we're bound."  
"_Good to hear. Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I do believe a better hiding place for me is necessary. The Revo Corporation is bound to have fleets out searching the colonies by now, and thought they have little to no freedom of law here, it wouldn't be very hard to not mistake me for a new model of star liner._" Marauder said factually, and Blaine straightened up and nodded.  
"Right. But where on this colony can we hide a huge robot?" Blaine asked as she stood up and looked around seeing no place big enough to harbor Marauder both comfortably and completely.  
"_Psst!"_ a voice called out, and Blaine looked around and down until her eyes fell on a young man who was standing at Marauder's massive foot looking up.  
Blaine made a gesture with her hands to silently ask what this young man wanted, and having gained her attention the youg man proceeded to say "I know a place you can hide that thing…"  
"Marauder is not a thing, it's a Gundam, and where exactly did you have in mind?" Blaine asked as she nodded her head to have Marauder lower its huge hand down to the ground where she stepped down and faced the young man with an accusing look.  
"All right then, I know a place you can hide your Gundam." The young man repeated, making sure to put the most inflection on the word 'Gundam'.  
"Well all right, where? Tell me first because I'm not sure I trust anyone on this colony yet." Blaine said flatly, crossing her arms across her chest and looking up at the young man with a still uneasy gaze.  
"Fine, you win. My name is Nirano Cortalis, and I'm probably the only person here on this colony you can trust." Nirano looked around cautiously before inching a bit closer to Blaine lowering his voice to say "Come on, let's go for a little walk. I'll explain what I mean on the way. Don't worry, your Gundam will be fine here for a while longer, but we don't want to go around talking about what I have to say here in public."  
Blaine raised a brow but chose to humor this young man named Nirano Cortalis and motioned for him to start the walking, and Nirano gladly turned around and started to walk, not waiting for Blaine to follow him. Blaine caught up to him with a few steps and asked "So what is it you have to say to me that couldn't be said back in the port bay?"  
"Well, for one thing I too am the owner of a secret much like your own; a Gundam, and I too came here looking for a place to hide. I'm the 4th son in my family to carry the secret of the Gundam Templar, and if I'm not being too subtle, I find it odd that a woman was granted the same secret. Even if in a different manner." Nirano said his voice smooth and calm as he walked with his hands folded neatly behind him.  
Blaine listened for a moment, and as he spoke she took the time to memorize Nirano's appearance. He was tall, trim, but still well built. The flair of arrogance showed he was a man who had been taught the ways of discipline only the military could bestow, but that arrogance didn't seem to make him standoffish and rude, as he spoke with no hostility, even after he had just said it was odd that a woman was the pilot of a Gundam. Either way, Blaine thought it only reasonable that since he had given her his name free of charge she too would introduce herself formally.  
"My name is Blaire Shiro, and I'm the 3rd of 4 daughters in the Shiro family. My father Kitan Shiro was the first to be given the right to guard the secret of the Gundam Marauder. And, though it may be weird and unorthodox, yes, I am the pilot to Marauder Gundam as there are no others of my family left." Blaine spoke and the words came out gingerly, knowing that she had just spilled important information about herself to an almost complete stranger, but somehow she had a gut feeling she really could trust this man called Nirano.


	8. Chapter 8

"Marauder Gundam. That's a strong machine, said to be one of the most deadly of the remaining Gundams beside the Omen Gundam, but that suit was destroyed years ago. Tell me," Nirano paused and stopped walking, and turned to face Blaine, his stern green eyes boring into her like a book that needed to be read. Blaine stopped and stared back, looking from side to side as if to ask him to continue.  
"Tell me how is it that you and I, both pilots to Gundams; secret weapons of war, have come to the exact place without either one's knowledge until now?" Nirano asked, and though it seemed he was asking that this question be answered, it was more of a rhetorical statement, and Blaine shook her head and remained silent.  
"Oh well, I guess there is no logical reason for it, however, you and I are here now, and your Gundam is in need of a secluded place to hide in case the enemy should come looking on the colonies for you and I." Nirano said, and he continued walking. Blaine followed behind him and found that she wanting to ask questions, but none of which seemed to form right in her head, so she bit her tongue and just followed.  
The two of them walked through the major city until they came to an old warehousing district which was seemingly abandoned from the look of its surroundings. Everywhere was covered in dust, and there were old pipes and conduit scattered around. The warehouses themselves were large and roughly uninhabited, with their doors shut securely for most, but a few hung open as though they had been torn from their hinges by a huge beast.  
"This way. This area has a holoscreen that can morph the entrance into anything be it a blank wall, a seemingly harmless building, or the night sky. I hid my own Gundam here a while ago, and no one has bothered to look. I think the Marauder Gundam will be safely hidden here as well." Nirano said as he typed in a few numbers on a keypad that popped up from the face of a large pole outside the dusty, unused gateway of the warehouse 'town'.  
"Wait… why are you helping me? I mean yeah, I can understand comradery among thieves, but still, your eagerness is kind of suspicious, if I'm not being too subtle." Blaine said her suspicions flaring up once again as the hair on the back of her neck stood up in discomfort.  
"As I said, I'm probably the only person here you can really trust. People on the colonies are good people, just like all the rest, but they're weak minded. They've been bred after all these years to believe that Gundams and their pilots are bad omens, no pun intended, and any one of them would gladly give up the location of a Gundam and its pilot for a small sum of money or a promise of repayment. Even if that promise and money were all lies made by a corporation built on lies and deceit." Nirano said as he typed in a code onto the keypad which beeped three times before the gate started to open.  
"26534." Nirano said leaning into Blaine's ear causing her to jump slightly at his closeness, but she remained calm and asked "What's that?"  
"The code you'll need to use on this pad to see your Gundam if you indeed place it here. I'm telling you regardless whether or not you do hide it here because I trust you. I shouldn't, but my heart tells me you're not going to betray me." Nirano replied and he walked in through the gate which upon his entrance began to close. Blaine trotted up behind him saying "How do you know that for sure?"  
Nirano chuckled softly before turning around to face her and said "Because, if you betrayed me, the destruction of the world we know would rest on your conscience until the day you died."  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Blaine snapped, her temper getting the better of her despite her efforts to hold it back, and Nirano chuckled even louder before he replied.  
"It means that if you were to be stupid enough to tell those Revo Corporation snobs about the location of the Templar Gundam and me, your own fate would be sealed. I would just as quick tell them where you and your Gundam are, and we'd both be doomed. I'm not an idiot, and I'm not new to treachery. I take it you're new at being a pilot, so I'll make this very clear so you understand what exactly you're dealing with now." Nirano began, but Blaine interrupted saying "I know what I'm dealing with!"  
Nirano closed his mouth and mocked a look of surprise before saying "Oh do you now…I don't think you do. I think you just assume that because you have been visited by those Revo Corps creeps that they are the only ones to worry about. Not so my lady, not so by a long shot."  
Nirano's eyes narrowed before he continued walking, forcing Blaine to trot once again to catch up to his side.  
"Then tell me oh 'informed one', just who exactly is after me and Marauder now? Or is that information classified for only your knowledge?" Blaine said, mocking Nirano's authoritive tone as she walked beside him.  
Nirano let out a growl and a sigh before stopping again, this time grabbing hold of Blaine's right shoulder harshly and dragging her to face him.  
"Listen, this information must NEVER leave your mouth to anyone, got it!?" he said, his tone stern and unfoolish, and Blaine, a bit taken back by his immediate turn of composure nodded hastily saying "I-I got it, jeeze."  
Nirano let go of her and stepped back, sighing again, only this time softly as if to calm himself down.  
"The Revo Corporation is only the tip of the iceberg as far as nasty villains go. They're powerful yes, but there are other organizations that would KILL to have a Gundam in their possession. A Gundam means power, and power means they can use fear to control the people of Earth and the colonies to follow their laws without argument." Nirano said, and Blaine nodded showing she knew this already, so Nirano continued.  
"The Oz-2 Organization is the best of your worries now. They have bounty hunters everywhere throughout the colonies and Earth just waiting to pounce on an inexperienced Gundam pilot and imprison them, and steal their Gundam to sell to Oz-2 for a wealthy sum of money and diplomatic immunity. The Ace Mercenaries are another slice of heavenly pie that has troop's patrolling the skies of Earth, and the vastness of space, only they work through persuasion and deceit. They prefer to trick young Gundam pilots into giving up their fight against them, surrender their Gundams, after the Ace scumbags assure them that their Gundam will be used for 'justified and righteous purposes to fight against the tyrants of Oz-2 only'." Nirano said, and he ran a hand through his dark hair as if he were reminiscing a moment of regret somehow linked to what he'd just explained.  
"Well anyone stupid enough to believe them deserves what they get." Blaine said before she could censor herself, and she was sure she would flair up the young Nirano's temper once again, but instead the young man sighed somberly and ran his hand down to his chin, stroking the defined facial hair that was neatly trimmed into a distinctively short goatee.  
"There have been a few pilots that were almost lured into their trap, but luckily their integrity and loyalty won out and they escaped as safely as possible. However, no matter what, no one deserves to live with the fact that they helped aid in the destruction of all freedoms human and machine fought for so valiantly many years ago during the Great War." Nirano said calmly, and he shook his head sadly before looking back to Blaine who bit her lip knowing he was right.


End file.
